The Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AG WG) publishes the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) which provides recommendations (usually found after performing a website accessibility audit) for making websites more accessible to users with disabilities including “accommodations for blindness and low vision, deafness and hearing loss, limited movement, speech disabilities, photosensitivity, and combinations of these, and some accommodation for learning disabilities and cognitive limitations.”
P.O.U.R. Accessibility Guidelines (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust)
Established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) the following Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) should be analyzed during a website accessibility audit:
Perceivable
- Provide text alternatives for non-text content.
- Provide captions and other alternatives for multimedia.
- Create content that can be presented in different ways, including by assistive technologies, without losing meaning.
- Make it easier for users to see and hear content.
Operable
- Make all functionality available from a keyboard.
- Give users enough time to read and use content.
- Do not use content that causes seizures or physical reactions.
- Help users navigate and find content.
- Make it easier to use inputs other than the keyboard.
Understandable
- Make text readable and understandable.
- Make content appear and operate in predictable ways.
- Help users avoid and correct mistakes.
Robust
- Maximize compatibility with current and future user tools.
Source: https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/glance/
What is ADA Compliance?
ADA compliance refers to the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design, which states that all electronic and information technology (like websites) must be accessible to people with disabilities. It is not the same as 508 compliance.
T-Base Specialized in ADA Compliance Website Audits
A website accessibility audit should include:
- A detailed explanation of what and where the issues are for each of the 12 Guidelines and 61 Success Criteria outlined in WCAG 2.0/2.1.
- A ranking of priorities along with specific instructions on what needs to be done to address each issue on the website.
- Overall web content accessibility best practices education.
- Information pertaining to adaptive accessibility technology products used by people with disabilities in relation to your site’s design and recommendations on which products to use to ensure future accessibility.
T-Base offers both a high-level website compliance analysis to gauge your site’s level of compliance with WCAG Guidelines as well as a full, in-depth website audit which is a more comprehensive look at your site including remediation advice to improve any issues found during the audit. Click here to schedule a website accessibility audit with T-Base today!
